PM Vucic uncertain whether there will be another snap parliamentary election

When asked if he will call for another parliamentary election, given that he will take the presidential office, Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic said that he has “too much work to do” and that he will deal with problem solving instead of the elections.

“All that matters is that everything goes in accordance with democratic procedures,” said Vucic. After journalists asked PM Vucic whether this means that Serbia will not have new elections in 2017, the President-elect said that it is their words and not his.

“I have answered as I wanted to answer and I was very precise. Do not put words in my mouth,” replied PM Vucic.

Even though his ruling Serbian Progressive Party had the majority in the Assembly, PM Vucic called for snap Parliamentary elections in April 2016. Before that, Serbia had elections for the Assembly in 2014 and in 2012.

In the presidential election held last week, PM Vucic won around 55% of the popular vote. However, citizens are protesting in all major cities in Serbia, claiming that the pre-election atmosphere was far from democratic, and that PM Vucic abused office to win another position, this time the presidential one.

President-elect Vucic also said he thinks the Assembly will start working after being closed from the beginning of the March by decision of the chairwoman of the Assembly, Maja Gojkovic. She is also a high ranking official of the Progressive Party.

Gojkovic said that she is reluctant to reopen the Assembly because of the protests in front of it. She is concerned for the safety of the building and the MPs. One of the protesters’ demands is Gojkovic’s resignation from duty.

Natasa Bogovic